Trail of Cthulhu
Characters Player Characters * Father O'Donahue * Francis * Michael NPCs * Sheriff Martin L O'Donnell * Samantha * Frank Dozel, pimp * Fanny, prostitute * One Armed Willie, pimp, possibly dead at some point * Them two hobos from the second time we visited Lester's Locations * Sheriff O'Donnell's Office * Frank Dozel's * Lester's Tavern * Kingsbury Run * Western Reserve University Plot Session One - Aug 12th * PCs meet in Sheriff's Office * Discuss murders, given Sheriff's informal case file * Really police jurisdiction, trying to outdo Ness' boys * Possible suspect: Frank Dozel (Lives: Roaring 3rd, 2941 East 22nd, May be found pimping at Lester's Tavern, East 20 and Central) * Went to Lester's, talked to Fanny and Lester * Frank came in, was a bit of a dick * Francis and FOD tailed him when he left * Francis watched his place while FOD went back and picked up Michael * Francis saw Frank lift up brick in front of window * When Frank left and the other PCs returned, Francis stole into flat with Michael while FOD kept watch * Francis lifted brick to find an envelope containing drugs and photographs: * Photograph 1: Pommard dude, tattoo - crescent, sex with Rosemary * Photograph 2: same dude having sex with Edward, photo taken through a window, can see corner of a painting with a swirled geometric pattern * Photograph 3: Sex with Flo, sumptuous room, bas relief in background showing ship surrounded by dogs(?). * Francis uses magnifying glass to inspect the last, feels vertigo and intense deja vu, falls backwards and leaves dent in wall where he hits it, breaks magnifying glass * Michael snaps him out of it * FOD alerts them to Frank's imminent return * Francis pockets photos, returns coke envelope * Hide in cupboard under stairs as Frank enters Session Two - Aug 12th (mostly?) * Leave hurriedly before Frank can notice dent * Newspaper hits FOD's chest – date 1908 – picture of worst thing that ever happened to me ** Photo from 3 years before I was born (27) ** Picture of father hanging himself after losing everything ** Crumbles to dust and blows away ** Must have been someone else – can't blame a man for jumping to conclusions. Funny old day and that * Michael goes separate way * F&F @Sheriff's – Samantha locking up ** Inform on progress: "Well, it's a start" ** Trace photographs before leaving ** Arrowhead pointing into a curve – tattoo ** Face visible in none ** Marble/soapstone bas relief (Magnifying glass from sheriff) * Tattoo parlor with sign – edge of roaring 3rd, crossing kingsbury run ** Green with skulls ** Different shade of green squiggles ** Looks mexican * Lester's tavern ** Fanny isn't here ** Two people with pommarded hair - One fat - One skinny and old -Neither man in photos *Caught one armed willy (alleyway) **"Shouldn't have been asking about Frank" **"Doctor told me I'm going to die in the past" **"Spat out by the whirlpool" **"Doctor gonna cut my arm and kill me in 1929" **Shirt hanging off his side **Once well-muscled but now saggy with loose skin **"I'm gonna die in the past man" **"Something wrong with my head" **Feel dreamlike unreality **"Rich white man with greasy hair who lives under the train" **Haze diminishes as we reassure, become sleeplike as he becomes agitated **"under the train, that's where he cuts your arm off" **"He cut my arm off when he killed me, 1929" **!John Doe 0, 29? **The doctor – what the hobos call him **Responding to key words – then looping **"Rose – I shopped him Rose, didn't know he was the doctor" **"& Edward" **"Building dogs out of 'em" * Suddenly bright daylight ** Car comes whizzing past ** See huge aeroplane in the sky leaving vapor trail ** Turn again and see shiny red car stop and pull up on pavement – crazy sounding music blares out *All fades again, dark alleyway, willyless * Part ways, FOD back to church, Francis to Crummy Motel Session Two (cont.) - Aug 13th O'Donahue wake Flashback to when 13 Dream of bath running as go to get into it, as turn into living room see father hung by noose cut forward to police standing around getting him down, bath overrunnning, water down stairs Wake to hear sound of barking dogs Shake it off – just a dream Fashion sling out of bedsheet to keep document in Francis wake up hungover Nadie's tattoos (Height of the depression scene setting) Feel faint headed as reach other side of bridge Standing outside Nadie's again Man in balck shirt with traditional Mexican patterns going down sleeves Tattoo examples on animal flesh Francis draws gun “we just want some answers” but Mexico rolls and slips out side, has drop on Francis You know what these heathens are like (O'Donahue) Keeps pointing at Francis – not pointing gun at O'Donahue Goddess from old times – snake skulls Young pushy big mouth – dog on shoulder Rich gringo Couple of hobos from kingsbury run Gang here six months back Los casados de cabezas? (The headhunters) Drink in a bar called Lasserina Hands gun back His name is Mondo Cross bridge To Lester's, talk to Lester Recognises him from sketch – hobo doctor Knew Flo Very interested in Tattoos offered lifts at closing time left with Flo a couple of days before she died Hung around with hobos at kingsbury run Selling hooch, breaking other laws Headhunters busted by Ness I don't care if he's homeless, he doesn't have to make his way around the run Down on his luck, speaks greek running round waving those knives Francis asks military man about rumours Doctor used to hang around and help out Some rich kid used to come swanning by, help out when he felt like it Haven't seen him in a month or two CIR line runs through kingsbury run Crazy greek guy running around with knives Military man too Comes and goes, don't know where Roger, Leo is military man Arrive at Sherriff's, in main room Several other detectives See them from outside, as we turn corner onto street we see unmarked Ford police car, sitting just around corner out of view from Sheriff's, one of two nudges t'other and they drive off when they see us Warn O'Donnell Doesn't care about guy with knives Headhunters taken by Ness As we mention the club, knock on the door, Samantha comes in and says “I went over to the library and I think I found something on that painting you asked about” His face drops as he reads case file Standing facing camera – our man here standing in front of painting depicting whirlpool Newspaper clipping - “young dilettante pays fortune for painting during European Tour” Aeoli's whirpool, bought in Venice by Orem Van Schaen in Venice in 1931, talking about 1928 Hanging in their mansion in Cleveland Cost a fortune Auction house in Venice threatening legal action about recovering funds promised Western reserve university library Take the fairly famous tram system part of the way, fairly empty Reach about as far as tramlines go heading towards Southern edge, becomes more affluent neighbourhood Walk through suburbs, sun beginning to set Reach university library as sun sets – big grey building with fake greek-style columns at front and small set of wooden doors Library has decent set of books Librarians old men Students and staff Father O'Donahue has turned up profile of Orem H Van Schaen Culture piece written in last 2 ½ years Eligible bachelor piece for high society section of newspaper Born in 1904, youngest son of real estate and rail bat Brother pollucks Shaker heights – inter urban rail Drowned themselves father and father's twin brother Left estate to MK and PJ Find “the odyssey – a reassessment” - his doctoral thesis Argues that Odysseus sailed on denghe river, Skylar and Charybdis and [] are iron gates between – and serbia Time dilations caused by brush with charybdis cersei nausica calypso alternate versions of skylar skylar and charybdis – always together – twin daughters of hecate or [] in odyssey, charybdis speak future something about dogs whirlpool skylar will only kill six charybdis will destroy everything he has twin sisters relief has ship and dogs painting has whirlpool Thesis – medical doctor? Bought whirlpool year before parents' death by drowning Session 3 - Still August 13th Mansion - 50 or 60 years old - well-decorated wood Singel gas light on porch, also flickering upper story window Try ornate gates, broken lock but thick chain with padlock Only takes Francis a second with his lockpick and the lock snaps open with a loud clack FOD pushes through gates and sneaks up driveway - not setting foot on the grass - Francis follows See modern automobile glinting behind house (a Ford) FOD flattens against wall, tries doorhandle, light inside aappears and starts moving. Francis hammers on door, old man inside drops oil lamp, fire starts? Withered old face with long grey hair Intact oil lamp but smoke "We're here to see Oren" "I'm going to call the police" "It'll be us that shows up" FOD goes round back - no porch but back door, set of double doors leading, chain, lock, and lock on door Woodcutters shed F unlocks door See movement in the darkness with first step, hunched over, smooth dark visage, buffets with leathery wings, clank as right foot is restrained by huge chain, lands on stairs Everything bad for a bit Slam doors Police approaching Stand on porch and wait Detective Merylo, what seems to be going on here? Francis, following up on an investigation Concerned citizens Grabs FOD "I'm working on a case here and if you screw it up for me" FOD mentions hearing screaming round the back Convince officer to have a look Batlike wings, creature up and over head, chain taught then breaks, flying overhead, brushes long tail with barb over him, two or three big flaps "I have to call this in" - begins reporting "some kind of creature, flew straight over me, great big bat wings, no face" - partner goes to turn off Hear engine turn over from behind house Car rolling by, man wearing brown suit, pommarded hair, hits back of police car as he speeds past Francis finds keys FOD psychoanalysis - the Lord has a plan for us all Francis in driver's seat, other cop passenger, us two in rear Turn onto reasonably deserted street but clip gas lampost going round corner, see it collapse, Oren's car make its way over low bridge heading South-East, takes a few moments FOD suggests heading for Kingsbury Run Old riverbed, no roads, sprawling camp, people drinking out of brown paper bags FOD "Have you seen the doctor?" - feel as if feet in running water, can't understand what the man is saying, earth looks a different shade of bronze, from underneath the water comes the creaking of wood - deck of ship raises, standing on it, feel movement of water under feet. Drunk man grabs me by the robes, he becomes younger, scraggly mess of hair becomes long head of hair, speaking in ancient greek "Our leader will drown us all, he takes the ship too close to the cliffs, we'll be smashed to pieces", puts hands on railing and next to him appears huge set of rocky cliffs, long snakelike neck with doglike head Sound as if torrent of water, whirlpool F Look away, look back gone, look around, almost trip over hand rests on piece of metal wrapped in leather, cylindrical shape, scrapes against floor, antique broadsword but unaged Old but cleaner one-armed willy fighting Merylo, yelling in his face over car, as he steps back he disappears again F - "let's head back and find out what's going on" - F, FOD & Merylo - "need to go back and get evidence before we report this in" "We're out of time, it feels like the whole world's going to end and it's happening now" F shoot gun into air, grab detective, leg it "Out of time indeed, there is no time to stop me now" - cringes over and ambles back "24th street station" on sign - "abandoned" Suddenly everything stops - everyone freezes in place - as if even light itself had stopped and you were seeing something else Ones on floor stay on floor, ones standing go limp, then all stand and turn to face station, amble forwards aimlessly, heads lolling about Wooden station door that would have been there is flat on the floor Only illuminated by moonlight Art deco museum/operating theater Tubs with pieces of people with swords in Left, stairs No doubt that these are original Greek broadswords, techniques lost F grab a broadsword in offhand Room below illuminated by candles spiral of candles looks like prefect gemoetrica spiral, places in which they form island etc. eddies like whirlpool Orem there, illuminated at front by candles, big old shadow on brick wall Pause, look at each other (FOD and O), F just shoots a chunk out of his side Huge snakelike forms come out of waist Head swim, All candles on floor begin to move in gentle swirl, just see points of light swirling Hobos crowding us in - pushed forwards by crowd, standing in swirling room full of points of light, feel floor move under us, drawn lightly towards center of room (stronger near center) F shoots again, misses, FOD prays, snake comes close, distance seems wrong This is the story of Scylla and Charybdis, story of the boat, on the rocks is scylla in the center is charybdis Twisted thing which was orem and is now twisted shape of Scylla pulls air with hands, start circling room, snap against FOD, he dodges into pool, against F who dodges forwards onto ledge One more comes at his arm FOD tries to make his way towards Oschaen but is pulled back Rips F limb from limb FOD eventually escapes whirlpool with sword Hobos dragged off feet as they stumble in and slide along floor Hobo sucked through floor as it wobbles FOD and Scylla hack at each other, very nearly kills him, but finally downed and torn to pieces sated heads sink back into him, only has energy to crawl back towards the door before Ness and crew raid run, take 63 hobos back to station, turn 11 hobos over to FBI Never find Francis or FOD, find Van Schaen Made it so that Ness solves and gets credit. Bastard